Refrigerating apparatus



y 1957 l C. A; CHAYNE ETAL 2,798,663

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. l 5, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORSm Charles A. Chayne and r 8 John D olza Their Attorney y 1957 c. A.CHAYNE ETAL 2,798,663

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 15, 1953 INVENTORSCharles A. Chayne and By John Dolza Their Attorney States atent @tlhceREFREGERATHNG APPARATUS Charles A. Chayne, Bloomfield Township, and JohnDolza, Davisburg, Mich, assignors to General Motors Corporation,Detroit, Mich, a corporation Dela ware Application December 15, 1953,Eerial No. 398,319

3 Qlairns. (Cl. 23h- 136) This invention relates to refrigeratingapparatus and more particularly to an improved type of refrigerantcompressor.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved bearingarrangement for use in a wobble plate type of compressor. Moreparticularly it is an object of this invention to provide an improvedtype of end thrust hearing arrangement in which an oil film is providedbetween the bearing surfaces.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved wobbleplate compressor design wherein the end thrust of the main drive shaftis taken up by means of a ball and socket bearing arrangement whereinoil under pressure is supplied to the central portion of the socket andforced outwardly between the matching surfaces on the ball and socket.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearlyshown.

in the drawings:

Figure l is a. vertical sectional View of a compressor embodying ourinvention; and

Figure 2 is :a sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure1.

Referring now to the drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of theinvention has been shown, reference numeral 16 designates the maincasing which for purposes of illustration has been shown as a stampedsheet metal casing. A main shaft 12 is supported for rotation by thecasing as shown in Figure 1 of the dnawing. A drive pulley lid iscarried to that portion of the drive shaft 12 which projects through theone end of the casing 10 and a wobble plate 16 is mounted on an offsetcrank portion 18 within the casing It). A cylinder block 20 is rigidlyfixed within the one end of the casing and is provided with a pluralityof cylinder bores 22 which are equally spaced around the central axis ofthe drive shaft 12 as shown in Figure 2. Pistons 24 are disposed toreciprocate within the cylinder bores 22 and are drivingly connected tothe wobble plate 16 by means of the usual connecting rods 28.

The refrigerant or other gas to be compressed enters the casing 1%through a centrally disposed inlet connec* tion 3% which is provided inthe end plate 32. The end plate 32 closes the one end of the casing 10and assists in holding the cylinder head assembly 33 in place. Acentrifugal gas separating element fan like device 34 is secured to theone end of the drive shaft 12 so as to assist in separating thelubricant from. the refrigerant before the refrigerant enters the inletports 36 which lead to the respective cylinder bores.

The compressed refrigerant leaves the compression chambers throughoutlet ports 38 which communicate with a circular outlet'chamber 40 inthe cylinder head assembly 33 from whence the compressed refrigerantleaves through the outlet line 42. The shaft 12 is supported forrotation by means of bearing units 44 and 46. Suitable shaft seal means50 is provided for preventing the escape of refrigerant at the pointwhere the shaft 12 enters the casing 10 in accordance with standardpractice.

A special end thrust hearing has been provided as shown for the wobbleplate assembly 16 and consists of a socket member 52 which iscomplementary to a semispherical or ball like member 54 carried by thewobble plate assembly 16. The socket member 52 is carried by a fixedsupport 56 carried by the housing 10. The socket member 52 is preferablymounted for limited movement relative to the support 56. Suitable meanssuch as pin 58 which is rigidly fixed to the member 56 limits the amountthe socket 52 can shift. The pin 58 has a loose fit within a recess 60provided in the socket 52.

.lt is important to maintain the bearing losses at a minimum and forthat reason a conventional oil pump in has been provided having an inlet72 connected to the oil sump in the lower portion of the casing 10 andhaving an outlet 74 which supplies oil under pressure to an oil passage76 formed in the shaft 12 as shown. The oil passage 76 feeds oil into acavity 78 within the spherical socket element 52. Some of the oil fromthe cavity 78 is forced out between the socket 52 and ball element 24 soas to provide an oil film on which the ball element oats.

The wobble plate assembly 16 is prevented from ro tating with the shaftby means of the usual guide shoe 82 in accordance with standardpractice. For purposes of illustration the ball element 54 has beenshown as a stamped sheet metal member which forms a part of the wobbleplate assembly. The construction and arrange-- ment of the cylinders andinlet and outlet ports may be varied without departing from the spiritof our invention.

In accordance with the provisions of Rule 78a reference is made tocopending application S. N. 347,556, filed April 8, 1953. This copendingapplication is related to the instant application in that it showsanother version of a wobble plate compressor which is similar in somerespects to the compressor shown herein.

l /hile the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a wobble plate type of compressor, a housing, a shaft journralledin said housing, a wobble plate carried by said shaft and driventhereby, pumping means operated by said wobble plate, a ball and sockettype of end thrust bearing assembly for said wobble plate comprising asocket element supported by said housing and n semispherical ball membercomplementary to said socket element and carried by said wobble plate,an end thrust bearing element supported in fixed relationship to saidhousing and surrounding said shaft and having a bearing surfaceperpendicular to the axis of rotation of said shaft, said socket elementbeing supported on said bearing element in sliding engagement therewith,said socket element and said bearing element having complementary meansformed thereon for limiting the extent of sliding movement.

2. A compressor as set forth in claim 1 wherein said socket element hasa central recess through which said shaft projects, and an oil pumpoperated by said shaft and arranged to discharge oil into said recess ata pressure in excess of the pressure surrounding said end thrust bearingassembly.

3. A compressor as set forth in claim it wherein said semi-sphericalball member comprises a frustum of a sheet metal sphere wherein the topand bottom edges References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Martin June 6, 1922 4 McCormack Nov. 24, 1936 Burke Jan.25, 1938 Kent Sept. 21, 1943 Talbot Dec. 19, 1944 Beeh Aug. 20, 1946Manseau Oct. 9, 1951

